The Monthly Bite: Best New Openings in Copenhagen Vol. 12

 
As the city continues to open up, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, and cafes that you can patronise in Copenhagen. While you head out to your local favourites, be sure to give some new spots some attention too; they really need it, given what the food and drink industry has been through over the last year!

From an exciting seafood-focused gastro-hub to a Caribbean pop-up to a burger spot, there’s a bit of something for everyone to enjoy in the sunshine.

Here are the best new restaurant openings in Copenhagen this month:

The Caribbean Housewife

At her new location in Kødbyen – the former meat packing district turned discerning foodie hub – Jamain Brigitha is serving up a bit of sensual sunshine. The Dutch-Curaçaoan chef hosts a weekly four-course “Housewife Roast,” where she effortlessly blends Danish hygge with Caribbean and Latin American flavors.

“I want food to make you happy, make you feel light,” explains Jamain. “That’s super important [and] why I call [my cuisine] eclectic. It’s holistic. It’s not only sustenance; you feel warm in your belly and you feel light.”

Jamain’s Caribbean Housewife Roast takes diners on an equatorial journey that includes Antillean-style empanadas, Surinamese-inspired peanut soup and Jamaican jackfruit curry.

Almost everything on the menu is vegan, with the exception of the Jamaican jerk chicken, and many of the dishes are gluten and lactose-free, including the mouth-watering almond-coconut cake with edible flowers. “I make vegan versions that even meat eaters like to eat,” smiles Jamain. “I actually call it a ‘democratic dinner’, cause [everyone] can come.”

Wine enthusiasts will delight at the selection of natural wines curated by Jamain. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the warm, attentive service (a hard find in Copenhagen) or the percussive playlist that will make you want to sway hypnotically in your seat. The Caribbean Housewife is truly the perfection addition to one of the city’s best dining scenes. Book your table in advance here. You can thank us later.

The Caribbean Housewife

Spisehuset

Slagtehusgade 5C

1715 København V
Dates: 
23/06 | 30/06
 | 
02/07 – 11/07 (During Jazz Festival)

Opening Hours:
Thurs – Tues Closed
Weds 4:00 – 10:00 pm (Dinner only)

Catering is available year-round.

Burger Vinduet

Burger Vinduet, which translates to “The Burger Window,” first opened as a pop-up out of Gustav Hallgren’s Vesterbro apartment window. “Our friends were nagging us to start it because I had been talking about it for years. We each invited twenty friends to my apartment and then they got to try it. Everyone was just like, ‘okay, you really, really need to do this!’ We then started to have small pop-ups from out of our apartment window in Vesterbro at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Hallgren has been in the burger game for a while, starting 15 years ago in England. He later worked at Gasoline Grill, where Hallgren met his current business partner, Simon Fischer.

In a city that’s saturated with burgers, what makes Burger Vinduet unique? Fischer explains: “We use dry-aged meat, which means it’s been hanging on a hook for 30 days. It gets funky and tangy.”

Sourcing dry-aged meat was no easy feat. While few butchers continue to dry-age steak, even fewer grind dry-aged beef into burgers. “We talked to so many butchers and they said it would never work,” Hallgren explains. “Eventually we found our match, [a butcher] who was just as interested as we were in the process.”

When beef is left to hang in cold air, something magical happens. As the moisture slowly evaporates, the meat shrinks and becomes more soft and tender. The result of the laborious process means that the burger is insanely tasty.

“I wanted to do something myself for many years. I have a certain visual way of seeing the burger and wanted to create the burger I wanted to taste. That started with the dry-aged meat. That’s not big in the burger scene in Copenhagen, but it’s really big in England and America,” Hallgren explains.

“We put our whole heart into everything we do,” declares Fischer.

Watching Fischer and Hallgren make burgers together is like watching a dance: they’re in-sync and obviously enjoying the process.

This summer, they have a pop-up at Bellevue Beach from 1st May to 30th September. On the menu they have two kinds of burgers: “We have the 30’eren, which is our dry-aged meat burger. And then we have a mushroom burger for the vegetarians. We also have some French fries with a little bit of ‘dyp’ (dip) on the side. And lastly there’s ‘Holdet,’ which means ‘The Team.’ So for 111 DKK, you can get the burger, fries, and dip.”

Why 111 DKK? “It’s our lucky number!”

If you’re in the mood for a unique and delicious burger, this should be your next burger conquest!

Burger Vinduet

Strandvejen 338A
2930 Klampenborg

Opening Hours:
Every day 12:00 – 20.00

Seaside Toldbolden

Previously Toldbolden, Seaside Toldbolden is an entirely renovated gastro-hub – basically an elevated food hall – sitting right on the water in central Copenhagen.

The idea is that the building itself feels like a ship, with the outdoor patio acting as the “deck.” Inside the space is large and inviting, filled with local, nautical elements including deep blue marbled tables that mimic the look of a sun-dappled sea. There is a large eating space in the centre and along the windows so you can look out at the water while enjoying your meal.

There are seven distinct kitchens inside Seaside Toldboden:

There is also a bar in the centre of the space as well as a wine area where people can enjoy a glass or even take a “wine class” with a group.

Each of the kitchens offers something special, and most have some connection to the ocean to keep with the sea-theme. This isn’t your typical food hall; just order your dish from your chosen booth and then take it to the tables in the centre of the space. It really does feel like a restaurant with a wealth of choices rather than a communal eating space.

Though all of the food is top-quality, we particularly recommend stopping by Mar Civicheria for some oysters, Project Raw for the tuna tartar, and the Bento Box from Tombo. The latter is ideal for lunch; a mix of grilled and raw items that are both fresh and filling. There are both fish and vegetarian options for the box.

If you’re in the mood for seafood but can’t get your group to agree on anything, Seaside Toldbolden is the ideal spot! And don’t sleep on the cocktail bar!

Seaside Toldboden

Nordre Toldbod 18-24
1259 København K

Opening Hours:
Every day 11:00 – 22.00 (kitchen & bars)
Nb: Logismose Eatery opens at 10:00 am daily

Want more of the best Copenhagen restaurants, bars, and cafés?

Text on The Caribbean Housewife is written by Jaughna Nielsen-Bobbitt.